Elves (Elfquest)
Encyclopedia
The comic book
series Elfquest
, created by Wendy and Richard Pini
, features a race of elves
on the World of Two Moons, searching for their origins and place in the world.
race known as the High Ones, who were accompanied by small workers (later to evolve into trolls) and winged flitters (later to become the Preservers
). One isolated group of High Ones, seeking a new world to dwell in, encountered an unknown planet with two moons inhabited by human
s.
Scanning the planet from orbit, they learned of human legends which suggested that other High Ones had once visited the planet. Intending to communicate with the humans in order to learn more, the High Ones reshaped their bodies into elfin form and their spaceship
into a Medieval
-style palace
. Just as they were about to land, the troll servants rebelled and caused the ship to jump back in time
20,000 years (as stated on the official Elfquest timeline), to an age when humans were at a paleolithic
stage of development. The primitive humans killed some of the elves and drove the rest away. The preservers followed the elves while the trolls, freed from their masters, established underground colonies.
Thus the elves were both the cause and the result of a time paradox, because the legends the High Ones had seen were about their own time-shifted descendants.
Most of the High Ones died out, and their descendants forgot their origins completely until Cutter's quest led to their rediscovery.
society of nocturnal elves who possess wolf blood, which gives them characteristics unique from other tribes. In addition to having keener senses, they are mortal. Wolfriders live by a code of conduct called "The Way." It is based on the natural cycle of the wolf; it glorifies the wild freedom of a hunter's life, and the "now" of wolf-thought.
In the German edition, the Go-backs are called snow-elves.
unless killed in battle
, or by disease or misadventure. The oldest known elf, Timmain, has lived at least 20,000 years by World of Two Moons' reckoning (the length of the elves' presence on the planet), and for countless time before her arrival on that planet. Wolfriders, however, because of their wolf blood, will eventually grow old and die - something that was forgotten during their conflict with humans because of the high mortality rate in that period. It is not known just how long a Wolfrider can live, but some have been known to survive for 3,000-3,500 years. This wolf trait can be removed by a healer, but such a profound excision of an inherent element of themselves is an option few Wolfriders find desirable. So far the only 'reverted' wolfriders are Skywise, in an act of desperation, and Windkin, who had his wolf blood removed in infancy. However, Suntop (later renamed Sunstream), though of Wolfrider descent, never had wolf blood; his twin sister Ember 'called' the wolf blood to herself in the womb.
After death an elf's immortal spirit survives. Most elfin spirits journey to the Palace of the High Ones, but the descendants of Timmorn Yellow-Eyes, due to their wolf blood, can choose to remain to watch over their people. It has been stated that they are the only elves who are able to go where they wish after death, while all others are involuntarily drawn back to their ancestral home.
, or psi power
s. These include the following abilities, most of which are never given a name within the comic itself. Many of these are rare talents:
There are also certain abilities that the elves attribute to their family bonds:
Furthermore, the knowledge of an elf's soulname gives the person who knows said soulname power over that elf, in a notably similar manner as True Names in Ursula K. Le Guin
's Earthsea
series. While the Wolfriders were at Blue Mountain, Winnowill was able to prevent Dewshine from leaving the mountain by using her soulname as a form of mind control. She had discovered it by spying on Tyldak, who had recently Recognized Dewshine.
The soulname is known from conception to the child's parents, and it is forgotten by all involved at birth, later revealed only to the child in a spirit quest. It is often only revealed in Recognition to the Recognized lifemate, unless the elf decides to divulge the name willingly to another. However, this is rarely done; two notable occurrences are Dewshine, Tyleet and Scouter, and Nightfall and Redlance, before the fight for the palace with the Go-Backs. Generally, only Wolfriders had soulnames: According to Leetah in the very first album, the Sun Folk have either forgotten how to send or do so rarely, which eliminates the need to protect the inner self with a secret name. Gliders, on the other hand, are capable senders and have no soulnames either, and Go-Backs have no soulnames as well, with Kahvi being a possible exception.
and the Gliders have no deaths for long periods and therefore no births, while the Wolfriders and Go-Back
s, plagued by centuries of war
against humans and trolls respectively, have a higher birth rate in order to stabilize their populations, although still very low by human standards.
Elves also have a very long gestation period
- about two years. The reason for this is not entirely clear, but it does make the eventual birth of a child an eagerly-anticipated event. Among elves the concept of an unwanted child is unthinkable.
Perhaps because of the low birth rate, and the fact that elves have no sexually transmitted disease
s, sex
is regarded also as a recreational rather than a reproductive activity and there are few taboo
s.
Some elves choose partners, usually of the opposite sex, for life, called lifemates. This is the closest elfin equivalent to marriage
; however, there is no bar against one or both lifemates of a pair taking other lovemates (or even other lifemates) of either sex, as long as the other does not object. While lifemates usually share soul names, lovemates usually do not.
While elves tend to remain emotionally loyal to their lifemates, they can be very free with their sexuality.
These arrangements usually run smoothly, although possessiveness and jealousy are not unknown. Freedom and independence within a relationship were key concerns for Leetah, as she struggled over whether to form a relationship with Cutter; Savah made her realize that the Wolfriders value freedom too, so Cutter was not likely to be a controlling mate. True to Savah's word, the couple's submission to the demands of Recognition eventually were replaced with a deep mutual love, to the point Leetah later told Rayek "He [Cutter] was my SOUL!"
Recognition is a purely involuntary urge that has no regard for pre-existing relationships. This can cause considerable tension between one or both of those experiencing it and their established partners; while Recognition does not dictate the formation of a lasting relationship, it is very common. This is very likely due to the two elves involved knowing the other's soulname, removing all barriers to essentially knowing everything about the person. Generally, even if a longer relationship does not develop, a new-found level of respect is formed. Some elves have tried to resist Recognition, but this only causes them to experience increasing physical and mental distress. However, Richard Pini has stated that unconsummated Recognition is never fatal.
Emotional reactions to Recognition have varied widely with different characters. For instance, Leetah's parents were close for some time before they Recognized, and they immediately complied with the biological imperative without any argument. By contrast, Leetah attempted to resist her Recognition with Cutter, but the combination of Cutter's patience with her reticence, her growing appreciation for Wolfrider culture, and her elder's counsel on the matter convinced her to cooperate, until Recognition faded favor of a strong love. On the other hand, Dewshine and Tyldak of the Gliders were mutually resistant until they were convinced to fulfill the physical requirements before agreeing to go their separate ways. However, when Dewshine's lifemate, Scouter, recognized Tyleet, Dewshine was delighted at this development, and in turn they formed a threesome.
The purpose of Recognition is to produce healthy offspring that have their beneficial inherited characteristics maximized. Whatever emotional upheavals it may cause, all elves agree that children conceived in Recognition have greater physical, mental and magical gifts than those who are not. For example, the children of the recognized lifemates, Cutter and Leetah, Suntop and Ember have considerable magical potential and physical hardiness respectively. However, gifted offspring resulting from non-Recognized parents do occur; One example is Kahvi and Rayek's magically endowed daughter Venka.
Recognition can have direct consequences for the affected adults. For instance, Dewshine and Tyldak's perception of each other is directly influenced by the effect; Dewshine sees Tyldak in his normal form before Winnowil altered his body into a bird-like structure while Tyldak sees her as a half-animal with fur and a vaguely lupine face. Another example is the Recognized union of Woodlock and Rainsong, notably prolific as far as elves go.
Probably the strangest noted "Recognition", confirmed by Wendy and Richard Pini from Wolfrider! The Newer edition is between Skywise and Cutter. After a daunting year of Cutter being forced to be the trolls' slave, Skywise bought his freedom, causing great anger to Cutter (who wanted to gain the trolls' respect), and the tension thus caused the two of them to discover the other's soulname whilst fighting. The two have determined they are "brothers in all but blood" since then, even experiencing the other's pain in times of duress.
. In Go-back society both sexes fight in wars. Thus the night before a battle is usually marked by frenzied dancing followed by group sexual activity. This is partly in order to celebrate life before risking it in battle, and partly to scatter seed as widely as possible so that those females who survive will replenish the tribe. In addition, the founder of this tribe favored quantity over quality in reproduction and thus Recognition's influence was significantly reduced to allow for more frequent conceptions.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Elfquest
Elfquest
Elfquest is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. It is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also...
, created by Wendy and Richard Pini
Wendy and Richard Pini
Wendy Pini née Fletcher, and Richard Pini are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known Elfquest series of comics, graphic novels and prose works...
, features a race of elves
Elf
An elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
on the World of Two Moons, searching for their origins and place in the world.
Origin
The elves are descended from a spacegoingIntergalactic travel
Intergalactic travel is space travel between galaxies. Due to the relatively enormous distances between our own galaxy and even its closest neighbors, any such venture would be far more technologically demanding than even interstellar travel...
race known as the High Ones, who were accompanied by small workers (later to evolve into trolls) and winged flitters (later to become the Preservers
Preserver (Elfquest)
Preservers are a fantasy race in the comic book series Elfquest.-Characteristics:Preservers appear somewhat fairylike: small winged humanoid creatures, who come in many different colors. Preservers are genderless, immortal, and nearly invulnerable except for their relatively fragile wings...
). One isolated group of High Ones, seeking a new world to dwell in, encountered an unknown planet with two moons inhabited by human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s.
Scanning the planet from orbit, they learned of human legends which suggested that other High Ones had once visited the planet. Intending to communicate with the humans in order to learn more, the High Ones reshaped their bodies into elfin form and their spaceship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
into a Medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
-style palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
. Just as they were about to land, the troll servants rebelled and caused the ship to jump back in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
20,000 years (as stated on the official Elfquest timeline), to an age when humans were at a paleolithic
Paleolithic
The Paleolithic Age, Era or Period, is a prehistoric period of human history distinguished by the development of the most primitive stone tools discovered , and covers roughly 99% of human technological prehistory...
stage of development. The primitive humans killed some of the elves and drove the rest away. The preservers followed the elves while the trolls, freed from their masters, established underground colonies.
Thus the elves were both the cause and the result of a time paradox, because the legends the High Ones had seen were about their own time-shifted descendants.
Most of the High Ones died out, and their descendants forgot their origins completely until Cutter's quest led to their rediscovery.
Physical characteristics
The elves of Elfquest are broadly human in appearance, but are distinguished from humans by the following characteristics:- Ears - the most obvious elfin characteristic. Much bigger than human ears, and prominently pointed. Their tips are supported by prominent bony ridges on either side of the skull.
- Eyes - larger than human eyes, with slanted eyelids.
- Cheekbones - high and prominent.
- Noses - smaller and narrower.
- Hair - much finer and silkier than human hair. (Wolfriders' hair is coarser than that of pure elves, due to their wolf blood.)
- Facial hair - none, except in the case of male Wolfriders (see below), who develop "face fur" - mutton chops, beards and moustaches - after living for several centuries (see Longevity, below).
- Fingers and toes - only four digits on each hand and foot.
- Height - some elves, notably Savah and most of the Gliders, are as tall as or taller than humans, though generally thinner. Most of the Wolfriders, Sun FolkSun FolkIn the comic book Elfquest, created by Wendy and Richard Pini, the Sun Folk are a fictional tribe of elves on the World of Two Moons ....
and Go-backsGo-BackThe Go-Backs are a tribe of elves in the comic series Elfquest. They named themselves from their goal to return to the Palace of the High Ones....
are much shorter following long generations of adaptation, and have an average height of around 4 feet (120 cm). - Skin color - elves generally exhibit the same range of variation as humans. The Sun Folk, adapted to desertDesertA desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
conditions, have medium to dark brown skin. Wolfriders have adapted to cold temperate climates; they are pale pink or ruddy, but tan in hotter climates. Go-backs have a lighter complexion from living in the tundraTundraIn physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
of Abode's northern mountains. Gliders—who dwell underground and seldom if ever visit the outside world—are pale to the point of actual translucence.
Tribes
Subsequent to their arrival on the World of Two Moons, the elves splintered into a number of different tribes. These tribes differ considerably in culture and even physical appearance but all of them as some kind of animal that they use and that can be related to a form of tribe totem.Wolfriders
The Wolf-riders are a hunter-gathererHunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
society of nocturnal elves who possess wolf blood, which gives them characteristics unique from other tribes. In addition to having keener senses, they are mortal. Wolfriders live by a code of conduct called "The Way." It is based on the natural cycle of the wolf; it glorifies the wild freedom of a hunter's life, and the "now" of wolf-thought.
Sun Folk
The Sun Folk are a peaceful, largely agrarian desert-dwelling tribe whose dark skin helps protect them from the powerful sunlight of their home, a village called Sorrow's End. The Sun Folk can work soft metals, such as copper, silver, and gold. They are excellent weavers and are capable of building elaborate homes of sun-dried clay.Gliders
The Gliders are a tall race of elves, almost all of whom possess the power of gliding (see Magic below). To avoid human persecution they have cloistered themselves inside the hollowed-out Blue Mountain, devoting themselves to art and contemplation. In the process they have become arrogant and decadent, none more so than the black-robed Winnowill. Because they had lived so long in claustrophobic isolation, the Gliders ceased to Recognize and there for ceased having children. Eventually, they found themselves worshiped by a human tribe that dwelt at the foot of Blue Mountain. A race of giant hawks were bred to bear the Chosen Eight, the elfin messengers that who bore gifts to the humans, received tokens and live offerings of human tribe members, and hunted for the other Gliders.Go-Backs
The Go-Backs, as their name suggests, desire to return to the Palace. However, the Palace had long been claimed by King Guttlekraw's trolls, enemies of the elves. In response, the Go-Backs have become a race of brutally barbaric warriors, constantly fighting the trolls until the war had become their "meat and milk". Their life was short and harsh, and they opted not to use magic because it made life deceptively soft. They value offspring, but believe in a warrior's early death. The Go-Backs had domesticated giant elks for use as mounts, and primarily dwell in lodges built into the mountains. Unknown to the Go-Backs, their chief Kahvi actually has long hidden Wolf-rider blood.In the German edition, the Go-backs are called snow-elves.
Wave-dancers
The Wave-dancers are a tribe of elves who took refuge in the oceans of the World of Two Moons. Thanks to elfin flesh-shaping magic, the Wave-dancers have in some cases undergone physical alterations such as fins and fish-like tails to help them adapt to an aquatic life.Longevity
Most elves are effectively immortalImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
unless killed in battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
, or by disease or misadventure. The oldest known elf, Timmain, has lived at least 20,000 years by World of Two Moons' reckoning (the length of the elves' presence on the planet), and for countless time before her arrival on that planet. Wolfriders, however, because of their wolf blood, will eventually grow old and die - something that was forgotten during their conflict with humans because of the high mortality rate in that period. It is not known just how long a Wolfrider can live, but some have been known to survive for 3,000-3,500 years. This wolf trait can be removed by a healer, but such a profound excision of an inherent element of themselves is an option few Wolfriders find desirable. So far the only 'reverted' wolfriders are Skywise, in an act of desperation, and Windkin, who had his wolf blood removed in infancy. However, Suntop (later renamed Sunstream), though of Wolfrider descent, never had wolf blood; his twin sister Ember 'called' the wolf blood to herself in the womb.
After death an elf's immortal spirit survives. Most elfin spirits journey to the Palace of the High Ones, but the descendants of Timmorn Yellow-Eyes, due to their wolf blood, can choose to remain to watch over their people. It has been stated that they are the only elves who are able to go where they wish after death, while all others are involuntarily drawn back to their ancestral home.
Magic
Many elves have some magicMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, or psi power
Parapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
s. These include the following abilities, most of which are never given a name within the comic itself. Many of these are rare talents:
- Animal-bonding - the ability to develop an empathic or telepathic connection with an animal. All Wolfriders are able to bond with wolves, and have a particularly close connection with them thanks to their wolf blood, but the power exists among other tribes, such as the Gliders, who bond with giant birds.
- Animal control - Teir's skills with animals go considerably further, allowing him to be considered part of any pack of animals.
- Astral projectionAstral projectionAstral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
- the ability to 'go out' and communicate with other magic-users in a bodiless psychic plane.- Mind-snare - the ability, possessed by strong astral projectors, to 'trap' other projectors in the astral plane, preventing their return to their bodies.
- Fire-startingPyrokinesisPyrokinesis, derived from the Greek words and , was the name coined by horror novelist Stephen King for the ability to create or to control fire with the mind that he gave to the protagonist Charlie McGee in Firestarter...
- the ability to start and control fires. This ability is very rare; Among the Wolfriders, the last known possessor who was able to control this magic was Zarhan Fastfire, in the time of the Wolfriders' second chief. It may have been a failed firestarting attempt by him that created the bad magic pool that spawned Madcoil. Per the novelizations, both Savah and Winnowill also have this ability, but Winnowill has never been shown using it in the comic itself. Savah has only rarely done so, as when she magically lights the lanterns for the Sun Village's annual festival. - Freezing stare - the ability to paralyze an animal or intelligent being with a stare; a kind of hypnosisHypnosisHypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
. - Force Shield - the power to create a magical barrier capable of holding back magical attacks or physical objects. This is most effectively demonstrated by Zhantee of the SunFolk in the Forbidden Grove when he shields Krim and Skot from a falling branch and again when he keeps the Djun's tower from crushing the others as they escaped.
- Gliding - the ability to 'fly' or self-levitate, allowing an elf to glideGlidingGliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
with the winds or with an initial kick-off. Strong gliders use the power more fully for self propulsion, at high speed and maneuverability. Tyldak of the Gliders had Winnowill reshape his body into a batBatBats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
-like structure so to be able to truly fly with his own propulsion. Gliding is a very deeply innate ability - the Glider elves of Blue Mountain are shown to glide while unconscious, sleeping, or having sex. (Note that the magic-user Rayek doesn't actually glide - rather, he uses powerful telekinesis to move himself, somewhat lacking in finesse.) - Healing - the ability to heal injury or disease. Unscrupulous healers can invert the power by violently stimulating pain nerves to make the target experience agonizing painPainPain is an unpleasant sensation often caused by intense or damaging stimuli such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting iodine on a cut, and bumping the "funny bone."...
. Conversely, the pleasure nerves can also be stimulated with equal strength, producing intensely pleasurable sensations that can dramatically enhance sexual experiences. Healers can also induce Recognition, with varying degrees of success. Go-backsGo-BackThe Go-Backs are a tribe of elves in the comic series Elfquest. They named themselves from their goal to return to the Palace of the High Ones....
stigmatize healers, believing they make warriors soft and careless. It is possible for an elf to heal a non-elf (such as a human) but this is significantly more difficult as their bodies are much less malleable.- Flesh-shapingShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
- the ability, possessed by sophisticated healers, to manipulate flesh to shape it to their desires. This can be done on a large scale, such as Winnowill's reshaping of Tyldak into a birdlike being, or on a very subtle level, such as the removal of 'wolf blood' from Wolfriders. - Shielding - the ability to protect another from magical attack using one's own healing power.
- Flesh-shaping
- Levitation - the ability to telekinetically manipulate objects
- Magic feeling - the ability to detect past and present use of other psi powers.
- Rock-shaping - the ability to sculpt and mold solid rockRock (geology)In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
, but generally this power cannot affect refined metalMetalA metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
. This ability is most notably used by the Gliders Egg and Door, as well as firstborn to the High Ones Ekuar. - Sending - the ability to exchange thoughts and feelings by telepathyTelepathyTelepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
. All elves appear to have the capacity for sending, but some tribes use it more often than others; the Wolfriders send frequently, whereas the Go-BackGo-BackThe Go-Backs are a tribe of elves in the comic series Elfquest. They named themselves from their goal to return to the Palace of the High Ones....
s send very rarely and the Sun FolkSun FolkIn the comic book Elfquest, created by Wendy and Richard Pini, the Sun Folk are a fictional tribe of elves on the World of Two Moons ....
hardly at all. Wolfriders can send to their wolves, but the wolves communicate in images more than words.- Black-sending - the ability to send in such a way as to cause psychic pain. Winnowill is adept at black-sending. This attack can be blocked by a healer in physical contact with a victim to counter the induced pain.
- Power sending - Strongbow's sending is significantly stronger than most, allowing him to reach large distances, or impose his will over weaker minds.
- Send-shielding - the ability to block or protect against the sendings of others. Venka displayed this power at a very young age.
- ShapeshiftingShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
- the ability to assume the form of other living creatures (even humans in some cases). Experienced healers can flesh-shape themselves to (for instance) grow gillGillA gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s, but the process is notoriously slower. - Tree-shaping - the ability to grow and shape plantPlantPlants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s. Specially skilled is the wolfrider Redlance.
There are also certain abilities that the elves attribute to their family bonds:
- Cutter, Leetah, and the twins (Suntop and Ember) have shown increased strength (in resisting Winnowill's attacks, and using sending to overpower her) through being together and acting as a unit (in Siege at Blue Mountain. They attributed this specifically to their being a family.
- The twins have a connection that defies any distance, and they attribute it specifically to their being twins. In what appears to be sending but might have an astral projection component, they can communicate even when on opposite sides of the planet, and Suntop has sensed Ember's emotional turmoil without any physical communication attempt on her part.
Furthermore, the knowledge of an elf's soulname gives the person who knows said soulname power over that elf, in a notably similar manner as True Names in Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
's Earthsea
Earthsea
Earthsea is a fictional realm originally created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story "The Word of Unbinding", published in 1964. Earthsea became the setting for a further six books, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, and continuing with The Tombs of Atuan, The...
series. While the Wolfriders were at Blue Mountain, Winnowill was able to prevent Dewshine from leaving the mountain by using her soulname as a form of mind control. She had discovered it by spying on Tyldak, who had recently Recognized Dewshine.
The soulname is known from conception to the child's parents, and it is forgotten by all involved at birth, later revealed only to the child in a spirit quest. It is often only revealed in Recognition to the Recognized lifemate, unless the elf decides to divulge the name willingly to another. However, this is rarely done; two notable occurrences are Dewshine, Tyleet and Scouter, and Nightfall and Redlance, before the fight for the palace with the Go-Backs. Generally, only Wolfriders had soulnames: According to Leetah in the very first album, the Sun Folk have either forgotten how to send or do so rarely, which eliminates the need to protect the inner self with a secret name. Gliders, on the other hand, are capable senders and have no soulnames either, and Go-Backs have no soulnames as well, with Kahvi being a possible exception.
Fertility
Because of their extreme longevity, elves have a very low birth rate. Stable and peaceful elf societies such as the Sun FolkSun Folk
In the comic book Elfquest, created by Wendy and Richard Pini, the Sun Folk are a fictional tribe of elves on the World of Two Moons ....
and the Gliders have no deaths for long periods and therefore no births, while the Wolfriders and Go-Back
Go-Back
The Go-Backs are a tribe of elves in the comic series Elfquest. They named themselves from their goal to return to the Palace of the High Ones....
s, plagued by centuries of war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
against humans and trolls respectively, have a higher birth rate in order to stabilize their populations, although still very low by human standards.
Elves also have a very long gestation period
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
- about two years. The reason for this is not entirely clear, but it does make the eventual birth of a child an eagerly-anticipated event. Among elves the concept of an unwanted child is unthinkable.
Perhaps because of the low birth rate, and the fact that elves have no sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
is regarded also as a recreational rather than a reproductive activity and there are few taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
s.
Relationships: Lovemates and Lifemates
Elves who form casual relationships with partners of either sex are called lovemates, and it is fairly common for an elf to have more than one lovemate at a time. Although this is not like marriage, lovemates can be very close, and the loss of a lovemate can be very traumatic.Some elves choose partners, usually of the opposite sex, for life, called lifemates. This is the closest elfin equivalent to marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
; however, there is no bar against one or both lifemates of a pair taking other lovemates (or even other lifemates) of either sex, as long as the other does not object. While lifemates usually share soul names, lovemates usually do not.
While elves tend to remain emotionally loyal to their lifemates, they can be very free with their sexuality.
These arrangements usually run smoothly, although possessiveness and jealousy are not unknown. Freedom and independence within a relationship were key concerns for Leetah, as she struggled over whether to form a relationship with Cutter; Savah made her realize that the Wolfriders value freedom too, so Cutter was not likely to be a controlling mate. True to Savah's word, the couple's submission to the demands of Recognition eventually were replaced with a deep mutual love, to the point Leetah later told Rayek "He [Cutter] was my SOUL!"
Recognition
Among the elves there is the phenomenon known as Recognition. When two elves of opposite sex having exceptionally compatible qualities for reproduction meet they experience a sudden and immediate compulsion to mate. This leads to a child and often becoming life-mates. A Wolfrider who experiences Recognition involuntarily surrenders his or her soul name to the other recognized elf. This is described by the phrase, "soul meets soul when eyes meet eyes."Recognition is a purely involuntary urge that has no regard for pre-existing relationships. This can cause considerable tension between one or both of those experiencing it and their established partners; while Recognition does not dictate the formation of a lasting relationship, it is very common. This is very likely due to the two elves involved knowing the other's soulname, removing all barriers to essentially knowing everything about the person. Generally, even if a longer relationship does not develop, a new-found level of respect is formed. Some elves have tried to resist Recognition, but this only causes them to experience increasing physical and mental distress. However, Richard Pini has stated that unconsummated Recognition is never fatal.
Emotional reactions to Recognition have varied widely with different characters. For instance, Leetah's parents were close for some time before they Recognized, and they immediately complied with the biological imperative without any argument. By contrast, Leetah attempted to resist her Recognition with Cutter, but the combination of Cutter's patience with her reticence, her growing appreciation for Wolfrider culture, and her elder's counsel on the matter convinced her to cooperate, until Recognition faded favor of a strong love. On the other hand, Dewshine and Tyldak of the Gliders were mutually resistant until they were convinced to fulfill the physical requirements before agreeing to go their separate ways. However, when Dewshine's lifemate, Scouter, recognized Tyleet, Dewshine was delighted at this development, and in turn they formed a threesome.
The purpose of Recognition is to produce healthy offspring that have their beneficial inherited characteristics maximized. Whatever emotional upheavals it may cause, all elves agree that children conceived in Recognition have greater physical, mental and magical gifts than those who are not. For example, the children of the recognized lifemates, Cutter and Leetah, Suntop and Ember have considerable magical potential and physical hardiness respectively. However, gifted offspring resulting from non-Recognized parents do occur; One example is Kahvi and Rayek's magically endowed daughter Venka.
Recognition can have direct consequences for the affected adults. For instance, Dewshine and Tyldak's perception of each other is directly influenced by the effect; Dewshine sees Tyldak in his normal form before Winnowil altered his body into a bird-like structure while Tyldak sees her as a half-animal with fur and a vaguely lupine face. Another example is the Recognized union of Woodlock and Rainsong, notably prolific as far as elves go.
Probably the strangest noted "Recognition", confirmed by Wendy and Richard Pini from Wolfrider! The Newer edition is between Skywise and Cutter. After a daunting year of Cutter being forced to be the trolls' slave, Skywise bought his freedom, causing great anger to Cutter (who wanted to gain the trolls' respect), and the tension thus caused the two of them to discover the other's soulname whilst fighting. The two have determined they are "brothers in all but blood" since then, even experiencing the other's pain in times of duress.
The Go-Backs' Orgy
Among the Go-backs one further form of sexual relationship exists: the orgyOrgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
. In Go-back society both sexes fight in wars. Thus the night before a battle is usually marked by frenzied dancing followed by group sexual activity. This is partly in order to celebrate life before risking it in battle, and partly to scatter seed as widely as possible so that those females who survive will replenish the tribe. In addition, the founder of this tribe favored quantity over quality in reproduction and thus Recognition's influence was significantly reduced to allow for more frequent conceptions.